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Third sex abuse suit filed against priest
By Mindy Aguon
A third complaint alleging sexual abuse against former Archdiocese of Agana Chancellor Adrian Cristobal was filed Tuesday in the District Court of Guam. J.E., 33, who used initials to protect his identity, alleges he was abused for two years while he was an altar server at San Vicente Ferrer/San Roke Catholic Church in Barrigada. The victim, who now lives in Virginia, said the abuse began when he was 10 years old when Cristobal served as a priest at the parish. The lawsuit alleges J.E. was instructed to massage Cristobal's back at the parish and at the priest's residence. After the massage Cristobal allegedly groped, fondled and squeezed the boy's private parts causing extreme pain, the lawsuit states. J.E. and several other altar boys were invited to attend a retreat at a private beach in Ipan. He recalled a big tent was for Cristobal and other priests, and the altar servers stayed in several smaller tents. Cristobal allegedly summoned the boys one by one into the tent. The complaint states J.E. refused to go when his name was called, and recalled hearing some of the boys who were in the tent saying, "Stop! No!" The victim noticed some of the altar boys stopped coming to church and stopped serving Mass after the retreat. J.E. could not handle the pain, humiliation and embarrassment that Cristobal had inflicted on him and wanted to quit being an altar boy, but learned that one of the benefits of being an altar boy was lower tuition costs at San Vicente Catholic School, court documents state. The boy began to lose faith in the church and felt betrayed, angry and violated, the complaint states. Attorney David Lujan said his client suffered harm to his physical health and welfare as a child due to Cristobal's misconduct. He also accused the archdiocese of failing to adequately investigate, discharge, discipline and/or supervise Cristobal and other priests known to have sexually abused children. Two former altar boys filed similar complaints alleging multiple instances of sexual abuse against Cristobal. 'Mission' in Phoenix After the first allegations were filed in a lawsuit, Archbishop Michael Byrnes revoked Cristobal's ability to celebrate Mass or hear confession. Cristobal was staying in Phoenix, Arizona, temporarily on a "mission" between December 2017 and April, but was ordered by Byrnes to return to Guam to answer to the sexual abuse allegations. The Diocese of Phoenix said Cristobal had left its jurisdiction. Cristobal has yet to return to Guam.
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